JKP is focused on championing the region’s economic development initiatives through innovation and partnership with the public, industry and academia. With the vast shared resources, a unique common historical foundation in culture and heritage; the Mission of Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP) is to Catalyze Economic Growth of Kenya’s Coast Regional Counties.
JUMUIYA YA KAUNTI ZA PWANI Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP) “Commonwealth” is the regional economic development organization representing Six (6) Coastal Counties; Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu and Taita Taveta.
• Socio-political and regional economic development cooperative. • Unified Advocacy and Lobbying. • Coordination through Secretariat and Sector Working Groups.
• Jumuiya 2030- Regional Economic Blueprint/ Jumuiya 10
• Harmonization of regional sector plans and policies
• Sea- land of opportunities (assets) • Investment and Tourism Destination
• Unlocking Value Chains within the 14 cross cutting sectors and facilitating PPP’s and participation of local MSMEs/... • Socio-economic development Bankable Projects.
Mombasa County is synonymous with the Coast. Its capital and the only city in the county is Mombasa. It is the smallest county in Kenya with a population of 950,000 and covering an area of 229.7 km2 excluding 65 km2 of water mass. The county is situated in the south eastern part of the former Coast Province. It borders Kilifi County to the north, Kwale County to the south west and the Indian Ocean to the east. Administratively, the county is divided into seven divisions, eighteen locations and thirty sub-locations.
The county lies between latitudes 3°56’ and 4°10’ south of the equator and longitudes 39°34’ and 39°46’ east.
Mombasa is an urban city county and for this reason there is a large population of both local and immigrant communities. The local communities include the Mijikenda, Swahili and Kenyan Arabs. The Mijikenda is the largest community in Mombasa county making almost 35% of the total population in the county.
Kwale County is a county in the former Coast Province of Kenya. Its capital is Kwale, although Ukunda is the largest town. Kwale county has an estimated population of 649,931.
Kwale is mainly an inland county, but it has coastline south of Mombasa. Diani Beach is part of the Msambweni division. Shimba Hills National Reserve and Mwaluganje elephant sanctuary are other attractions in the county.
Main ethnic communities in the county include the Digo and Duruma clans of the larger Mijikenda tribe and also a significant presence of the Kamba tribe.
The county lies between latitudes 3°56’ and 4°10’ south of the equator and longitudes 39°34’ and 39°46’ east.
Mombasa is an urban city county and for this reason there is a large population of both local and immigrant communities. The local communities include the Mijikenda, Swahili and Kenyan Arabs. The Mijikenda is the largest community in Mombasa county making almost 35% of the total population in the county.
The County capital is Kilifi and its largest town is Malindi. The county has a population of 1,109,735. It covers an area of 12,245.90 km2 (4,728.17 sq mi). The county is located north and northeast of Mombasa.
Tourism and fishing in Kilifi are major economic activities due to its proximity to the Indian Ocean. The county has some of the best beaches and popular resorts and hotels. Other attractions include historical sites such as the Mnarani ruins that date back to between the fourteenth and seventeenth century.
The county has a strong industrial sector with the Mabati Rolling Mill and the Athi River Cement Factory contributing heavily to the region’s economy both in employment provision and income generation.
Opportunities exist in agriculture, particularly dairy and crop farming thanks to fertile soils and a good weather pattern. The county had a successful cashew nut milling industry and opportunities exist in its revival
Tana River County is named after the Tana River, the largest river in Kenya. It has an area of 35,375.8 square kilometers (13,658.7 sq mi) and a population of 240,075. The capital and largest town is Hola, sometimes known as Galole.
The major ethnic groups are the Pokomo, many of whom are farmers, and the Orma, Wardey and Gadsan. The county is generally dry and prone to drought. Rainfall is erratic, with rainy seasons in March–May and October–December. Flooding is also a regular problem, caused by heavy rainfall in upstream areas of the Tana River.
Tana River County comprises several areas of forest, woodland and grassland.
Lamu County borders Tana River County in the southwest, Garissa County to the north, Republic of Somalia to the northeast and the Indian Ocean to the South. With a population of 102,000, it lies 1° 40’ and 2° 30’south and longitude 40° 15’ and 40° 38’south. The County has a land surface of 6,273.1 km that include the mainland and over 65 islands that form the Lamu Archipelago. The total length of the coastline is 130 km while land water mass area stands at 308 km. There are extensive mangrove forests in the area.
The main economic activities in the county include crop production, livestock production, fisheries, tourism and mining, most notably quarrying. Among the challenges facing Lamu is population growth owing to migration into Lamu from other parts of the country, fueled partly by the anticipated opportunities accruing from the Lamu Port South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor. Other challenges include landlessness and poor land management, insufficient social services such as healthcare and education, inadequate supply of piped and fresh water, under-developed infrastructure, and food insecurity.
Taita–Taveta County lies approximately 150 km northwest of Mombasa and 300 km southeast of Nairobi. The capital, nominally, is in Mwatate town but county government offices are in Wundanyi.
The population of the county is 300,000 persons with population densities ranging from 3 persons per km2 to more than 800 persons per km2. This is due to the varied rainfall and terrain with the lower zones receiving an average 440 mm of rain per annum and the highland areas receiving up to 1,900 mm of rain. The county ranges in altitude from 500 m above sea level to 2,228 m at Vuria Peak, which is the county’s highest point.
The county covers an area of 17,083.9 km2, of which 62% or 11,100 km2, is within Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks. The remaining 5,876 km2 is occupied by small scale farms, ranches, sisal estates, water bodies (such as Lakes Chala and Jipe in Taveta and Mzima springs), and the hilltop forests.
The lowland areas of the county outside the national parks consist of farms, ranches, estates, and wildlife sanctuaries. The county has approximately 25 ranches. The main land use in the ranches is cattle grazing. The three operating sisal estates of the district are the Teita Sisal Estate, Voi Sisal Estate and Taveta Sisal Estate. Many ranches have ventured into wildlife tourism and conservation. The Taita Hills and Saltlick Lodges sanctuary is among the well-known tourism attractions in Taita Taveta.
The Taita Hills forest hold a unique biodiversity with 13 taxa of plants and 9 taxa of animals found only in the Taita Hills and nowhere else in the world. In addition, 22 plant species found in the Taita Hills forests are typical of the Eastern Arc forests. Within these beautiful indigenous forests, bubbles clean water flowing to the lowland areas catering for both human economic activities and wildlife.
The Gross County Product Report (GCP 2019) provides for the first time published estimated measure of each county’s contribution to Kenya’s GDP (County GDP) for the year 2017. During that year, the six coastal counties contributed an estimated KES0.7 trillion, equivalent to 9% of national GDP, out of which Mombasa contributed 4%, Kwale (1%), Kilifi (2%), Tana River (0.4%), Lamu (0.4%) and Taita Taveta (1%).
JKP aspires to be a social Innovation partnership network focused on enabling the Workforce and the MSMEs. The vision is aimed at changing the story of the Coast region by transforming the region into a high middle-income regional population with a special focus on the youth and women through employment and wealth creation. This is through the creation of a workforce and an MSME incubator that seeks to create employment and wealth and the identification and creation of Regional Flagship Projects phased for high impact delivery.
Catalyze economic growth of Kenya’s coast regional counties.
A regional economy that creates wealth and shared prosperity for its communities.
JKP aspires to be a social Innovation partnership network focused on enabling the Workforce and the MSMEs.
The Secretariat’s role is to have a broad view understanding of the region and creating the enabling environment that will ensure a platform for socio-economic development of the region and thereby Changing the story of the region.
JKP initiatives are managed and coordinated by a Secretariat with technical committees and professional experts drawn from the six county governments, the three universities and private sector...
How can we change the story together?
Call Us: +254 777101 115 | Email: secretariat@jumuiya.org